CAA Women's Lacrosse Returns to Action on Friday

CAA Women's Lacrosse Returns to Action on Friday

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Dylan Smith

DIGITAL VERSION

RICHMOND, Va.  – CAA Women’s Lacrosse is back as the 2026 slate opens up this weekend, starting with three games on Friday afternoon.
 
TO BE THE BEST, YOU HAVE TO PLAY THE BEST
  • All eight CAA programs will see increased competition in 2026, taking on eight teams ranked in the USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Top 20 poll and 10 squads listed in the InsideLacrosse and IWLCA preseason Top 25.
 
CHAMPS PICKED AS PRESEASON FAVORITE
  • Stony Brook earned the top spot in the CAA Preseason Coaches Poll, earning seven first-place votes. The Seawolves became just the third team in CAA history to win three consecutive CAA crowns, joining Towson (2014-17) and James Madison (2017-19). The Seawolves have won three straight regular season crowns and three conference titles since their arrival in 2023, having yet to lose against a CAA opponent (29-0) between the regular season and postseason. Stony Brook has won the last 11 conference title games for which they have been eligible – eight in the America East (2013-21) and three in the CAA (2023-25).
  • The three-time champs earned seven first-place votes as the conference’s top team, turning to the league’s preseason pick, Caporuscio, to shoulder the load. Preseason All-CAA team selection Allie Masera also returns for her senior campaign. The Seawolves’ defender helped facilitate one of the nation’s top defensive teams that allowed just 8.8 goals per game (5th in NCAA). The Eastport, N.Y., native also helped Stony Brook force 12.8 turnovers per contest, good for 15th in the nation.
 
FORZA ISABELLA
  • The reigning CAA Midfielder of the Year, Stony Brook’s Isabella Caporuscio, was tabbed Preseason Player of the Year by the league’s head coaches. The Mountain Top, Pa., native appeared and started in all 21 games for the Seawolves last season, rounding out the league’s top five with 49 goals and 68 points. Caporuscio also garnered USA Lacrosse and Nike Lacrosse Media All-America Honorable Mentions for her success on the other side of the ball, bolstering one of the country’s top defensive teams and picking up 2.5 ground balls per game.
 
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
  • Reigning CAA Midfielder of the Year, Stony Brook’s Isabella Caporuscio, and the league’s top scorer in 2025, Hofstra’s Nikki Mennella, garnered Preseason All-American distinction by USA Lacrosse Magazine.
  • Caporuscio earned a spot on the All-America Third Team after helping Stony Brook to its third-straight CAA Championship. The junior midfielder recorded 68 points on the year, notching 49 goals and 19 assists. Defensively, Caporuscio logged 82 draw controls, 52 ground balls and 36 caused turnovers through 21 games.
  • Hofstra’s Mennella was one shy of hitting the century mark with 99 points last season, posting 62 goals to go with 37 assists. Her 6.6 goals per game ranked among the best in NCAA history, sitting 11th in the national record book. Mennella will look to build off the 2025 campaign that saw her secure five CAA Player of the Week nods and a pair of national weekly honors.
 
RANKED AMONG THE BEST
  • Stony Brook picked up rankings in all three major women’s lacrosse preseason polls. The Seawolves were tabbed No. 17 in the IWLCA and Inside Lacrosse Magazine Top 25. The three-time defending CAA Champions also sit at No. 16 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine preseason Top 20.
 
CAMPBELL CAMELS (4-5-4, 2-2-2 CAA)
  • Campbell finished its second full season in the CAA with three victories.
  • Hailey Kohlman returns as a fifth-year student-athlete after ranking top five in the CAA last season with 2.5 ground balls per game. Fellow defender Brooke Cressy will also anchor the backline after accomplishing a top 10 standing with 1.5 caused turnovers per game.
  • The Camels will turn to McKenna Duncan and Delaney Nicolaus on the offensive side. The duo is among the top scoring returners from 2025, combining for 29 goals and 13 assists.
 
DREXEL DRAGONS (2-5-8, 1-3-2 CAA)
  • The Dragons will turn their three Preseason All-CAA selections - Bea Buckley, Kate Quinn and Katie Maloney - for the 2026 campaign. Buckley led the Dragons in scoring last season with 72 points, tallying 28 goals with a single-season program record 44 assists. The junior finished third in the conference in assists per game (2.44) and fifth in points per game (4.0).
  • Quinn, a 2025 All-CAA Second Team selection, posted 27 goals on the year with 28 points overall. Quinn also shined on the defensive side, grabbing 30 ground balls and causing 15 turnovers.
  • Maloney led the Dragons with 44 ground balls and added 24 caused turnovers, ranking second on the team. DU was 18th in the nation in scoring defense last year, holding opponents to just 9.89 goals per game.
 
ELON PHOENIX (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
  • Elon will also turn to its two Preseason All-CAA selections, Ana Lee Vandiver and Reagan Kuehn, for the upcoming season.
  • Vandiver is the Phoenix’s top returning scorer from last season, setting career highs with 39 goals and 51 points in 2025, both of which ranked second on the Phoenix.
  • Kuehn continued to move up Elon’s all-time leaders in ground balls and caused turnovers last season on her way to earning All-CAA Second Team honors. The junior defender paced the Phoenix with 23 caused turnovers and 32 ground balls, both top 10 marks in program history.
 
HOFSTRA PRIDE (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
  • Hofstra will look to rely on its two Preseason All-CAA selections, Nikki Mennella and Christine Dannenfelser.
  • Mennella, the 2025 CAA Attacker of the Year, posted 99 points on 62 goals and 37 assists, offensively, while also logging 67 draw controls, eight ground balls and six caused turnovers on the other side. Her 6.6 points per game set a new CAA record and ranked 11th-best in NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse history.
  • Dannenfelser had a tremendous 2025 season for the Pride, totaling 58 draw controls, 42 ground balls, and 24 caused turnovers en route to All-CAA First Team honors.
 
MONMOUTH HAWKS (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
  • Monmouth finished its 2025 campaign with three victories, anchored by Preseason All-CAA selection Katie Sullivan.
  • Sullivan earned All-CAA Second Team honors last season after posting 171 saves and a .480 save percentage last season. The Hawks’ netminder finished 2025 as the CAA’s leader in saves per game (11.4) and ranked 14th in the nation in save percentage.
  • The Hawks will look to Lauren Rismani, a graduate transfer from the University of Oregon, on offense. The Denver, Colo., native played four seasons for the Ducks, notably logging 13 goals and 25 assists for 54 career points in 2024.
 
STONY BROOK SEAWOLVES (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
  • Stony Brook has yet to lose against a CAA opponent (29-0) between the regular season and postseason since joining in 2023. The Seawolves became the third program in league history to earn three straight conference championships.
  • Isabella Caporuscio was tabbed Preseason Player of the Year after breaking out in 2025. She finished third on the team with 68 points on 49 goals and 19 assists, adding 82 draw controls, 52 ground balls and 36 caused turnovers across 21 appearances.
  • Allie Masera joined Caporuscio on the league’s preseason top team after starting all 21 games for the Seawolves in 2025. She contributed 31 ground balls, 18 caused turnovers and two helpers.
 
TOWSON TIGERS (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
  • The Tigers saw four players earn preseason honors, led by All-CAA selections Valerie Thompson and Katie Roszko.
  • Thompson started all 16 games last season, tying for second on the team with 30 goals. The senior midfielder added nine assists, 21 ground balls, 42 draw controls and 10 caused turnovers. Thompson also led the Tigers with nine multi-goal games.
  • Roszko, a 2024 CAA All-Rookie Team selection, led Towson with 22 assists and was tied for second on the team with 30 goals. She added 14 ground balls and 17 draw controls.
 
WILLIAM & MARY TRIBE (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
  • William & Mary’s Kate Draddy ranked inside the league’s top 10 in ground balls per game (2.13). Additionally, she tied the team lead with ground balls (34), second in draw controls (55), third in assists (8) and fourth in points (34). Draddy notched 26 goals and eight assists last season.
  • Second-year head coach Kelyn Freedman will look to build on a six-win season from her inaugural campaign.
Marin Wilhelm returns for her senior campaign after ranking fourth in the CAA with 8.63 saves per game last season. She logged double-digit saves in six of her 16 starts, including a 14-save performance against Towson on April 5, 2025.